Latching mechanism



Jan. 17, 1939. F. ALBACH v LATCHING MECHANISM Filed June 1, 1956 ZNVENTOE I. I I I I IJ'II I Ill A. Y 6v M? an E O 5 r 1 O w Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES LATCHING MECHANISM Frank Albach, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Fred Medart Manufacturing Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 1, 1936, Serial No. 82,877

14 Claims.

This invention relates generally to latching mechanisms and, more particularly, to mechanisms of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,923,903, of August 22, 1933, for latching in or to its frame or casing the door of a clothes-locker or the like.

It may be stated that it has been found that the latching mechanism of said Letters Patent No. 1,923,903 may be picked, that is to say, may be actuated surreptitiously or by an unauthorized person to unlatching or door-opening position by the insertion and manipulation of a wire or analogous tool intermediate the keeper and the latch-proper, and my present invention has for its chief objects the provision in the latching mechanism of a keeper so shaped and formed as to make it practically impossible for the mechanism to be picked and thereby surreptitiously actuated to door-opening position, and the improvement generally of the latching mechanism of said Letters Patent. 4

And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,-

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a clotheslocker shell or casing and its door equipped with a latching mechanism embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged'fragmental View, partly in longitudinal section, of the locker-shell and door; and

Figures 3 and 4 are detail sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 33 and 44, Figure 2.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, A designates generally the shell or casing of a clotheslocker, cabinet, or the like, which, as shown, is usually of oblong-rectangular form, and whose front wall a is apertured for accommodating a door B, the latter including a body-panel i that, when the door B is in closed position, fits snugly within the aperture of, and flushwise with, the shell front wall a, and the door B being for swingable movement hinged, as at 2, to the one longitudinal side-portion 3 of said Wall. The opposite longitudinal or jamb-portion 4 of the shell front Wall a and the door B along its opposite or free longitudinal margin are specially formed for latching co-operation, as will now appear.

At and along its inner margin, the jamb 4 is formed or provided with a right-angular extension or rail 5 presented inwardly; and disposed in parallel relation to the adjacent side wall 6, of the casing A, the rail 5, in turn, at and along its inner or free margin having an angular extension or flange 1 presented toward the shell side wall 6, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3.

The jamb-fiange I is again, in turn, cut away, as at 8, to accommodate the slightly reduced neck-portion 3 of the body-plate H] of a bracket or keeper C, the body-plate ll] being disposed in fiatwise impinging relation upon the inner face of rail 5 and having a right-angularly extending foot 5 l flatwise fitting upon the inner face of, and spot-welded or otherwise rigidly and permanently fixed to, the front wall-portion 4. The bracketneck-portion 9 is extended, as best seen in Figure 3, to suitably project rearwardly within the shell or casing A and is then bent right-angularly to project within the aperture of the shell front Wall a to provide the base or bottom wall I2 of the keeper C, which, as presently more fully ap pears, limits the swingable movement of door B to locker-closing position.

In turn, the keeper base wall I2 is at its outer end right-angularly extended in the provision of a forwardly projecting bill l3, which at its free outer end terminates short of the plane of the front wall 4 and is there somewhat bent and thereby provided with a flange or lip l4 obliquely presented toward the wallor rail 5, as best seen in Figure 3.

And, for purposes presently appearing, the bill I3 is suitably upset, punched, or otherwise provided suitably within its area with an aperture I5, and formed preferably integrally on the bill l3 by the metal or material punched therefrom in the provision of the aperture I5, is a tongue l6 disposed in spaced registering relation with and providing a back-wall or shield, as it may be said, reference being made to Figure 2, for the aperture IS, the tongue or shield is being along its upper side margin joined to the bill l3 by an obliquely disposed lip l1.

While but one keeper C is thus specifically described, it is to be understood that the shell A may be similarly provided with a suitable additional number of the keepers C, as may meet requirements, and as is indicated by dash-lines in Figure 1.

Formed or provided longitudinally along the free margin of the body-panel l of door B, is a wall or rail !8 having an inturned right-angularly presented flange is, as shown, providing a channel for efficiently housing the latching mechanism, the flange !9 being suitably longitudinally slotted or apertured, as at 20, for accommodating the bills l3 of the keepers C on movement of the door B to closed position.

Having in its bight 2| longitudinal slots 22 working over the shanks of rivets 23 suitably engaged in the rail or wall I8, as best seen in Figtires 2 and 4, and disposed for slidable movement intermediate the inner face of the rail I8 and the retaining heads 24 of the rivets 23, is a vertically or longitudinally shiftable latch-bar D substantially of U-shape in section, its legs 25, 26, being disposed in approximate parallel relation with the door-panel l and the flange l9 and presented toward the rail l8 and its one or inner leg 26 being slotted, as at 21, for shiftable registration with the flange-slots 20.

At preferably its upper end, the latch-bar D is yieldingly engaged by a leaf spring 28 supported suitably from an upper part of the door B for biasing the latch-bar D in normally lowered latching position, shiftable movement of the bar D in either direction being limited by the slots 22 in their engagement with the rivets 23.

Disposed on the latch-bar D at positions normally corresponding to, and for latching co -operation with the respective apertures l5 of, the keepers C, is a like number of oscillatory or rockable latch-members E, each of which comprises a rectilinear plate 33 having an intermediate bend, as at 3|, providing a rocker-bearing on the bight 2| of the bar D and also a seat for a plateretaining rivet 32 engaged at its ends in the bar-. legs 25, 26/ At its lower end, each plate 30 is reduced in width and obliquely extended in the provision of a tongue 33 normally yieldingly engaged by a spring 34 fixed at an end, as at 35, to the bight 2| of bar D and at its free end engagingthe rockable plate 30, as best seen in Figure 2, toward the rail l8 for engagement at its straight edge 0 with the outer wall of the aperture l5 of an interposed keeper-bill [3, the tongue or catch 33 having an opposite cam-face, as at (1, adapted, when the door B is being closed, for slidable co-operation on and with the flange M for facilitating rocking movement of the plate 30 and coincident movement of the catch 33 into the aperture I5 for latching co-operation with the keeper-bill I3.

Disposed preferably at an intermediate point on the free margin of the door-panel I, is a rotatory manipulative-member 36 having an arm 31 disposed on the inner face of the door B and suitably engaged with the latch-bar D for Shifting or lifting the same, on rotary movement of the handle 36, from normal lowered or latching position to raised or door-unlatching position, the several latch plates or levers E, on such movement of the bar D, being bodily shifted out of the plane of thekeepers C for consequently lifting the several catches l3 from the respective apertures l5 of the keepers C for unlatching the door B from the frame or casing A for opening movement, and the catches 33, in such releasing or unlatching movement, riding up, and their releasing movement being facilitated by, the respective oblique shield-supporting walls. or lips I'l.

It will thus be seen that, on suitable manipulation of the handle 36, the latch-bar D may be shifted for disposing the tongues or catches 33 alternately into and out of keeper-cooperable position for respectively latching and unlatching the door. It will be noted, however, that the spring-pressed latch levers E are normally, on closureof the door B, disposed for automatic latching projection of their carried catches 33 into the apertures IS without shifting the latch bar D, although the door B may not be unlatched except by positive manipulation of the handle 36 for shifting the latch-bar D, as described.

The present latching mechanism is relatively simple in structure, may be economically manufactured, and is especially, though not exclusively, adapted for use in connection with clotheslockers or the like, wherein it is desirable that the door be latched at a. plurality of points to the casing, the advantages of the mechanism residing, among others, in the quietness and celerity with which the door may be closed for automatically latching itself in the casing, and also in the manner in which the latching mechanism may be locked against unlatching movement whether the door be in open or closed position.

It will also be seen that each respective catch 33 enters its co-operable keeper-aperture I5 in one or a lateral direction, facilitated by a sliding engagement between the catch cam-face c and the wall-flange l4, and is disengaged or lifted therefrom in another or vertical direction, the latter being hence right-angularly to the former and facilitated by sliding engagement between the catch 33 and the oblique shield-supporting wall H, the formation of the latch-bar D and its housing and the keeper-aperture i5 equipped, as described, with its spaced back-wall or shield 16, and especially the latter, most positively eliminating any surreptitious picking of the catch from co-operable latching-engagement with its respective keeper.

For insuring quietness in the engagement of the door B in coming to closed position, each keeper or bracket C is suitably provided on its base or bottom wall l2 with a buffer or the like 38, as best seen in Figure 4.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. A door-latching keeper having an aperture, and a tongue fixed on the keeper and disposed rearwardly of, and in spaced registering relation to, said aperture for shielding a catch in latching engagement with the keeper at said aperture.

2. A door-latching keeper having an aperture,

a lip projecting from the keeper, and a catchshield supported by the lip in spaced registering relation with said aperture.

3. A door-latching keeper comprising a bill having an aperture within its area, a lip projecting obliquely from the bill, and a catch-shield supported by the lip in spaced registering relation with said aperture.

4. A door-latching keeper comprising a tongue having a punched aperture within its area, a lip integral with, and projecting at a margin of said aperture obliquely from, said tongue, and a catch-shield integral with, and supported in spaced registering relation with said aperture by, the lip.

5. A door-latching keeper comprising a bill having an aperture, and a tongue fixed in the keeper in spaced relation to the bill, said tongue providing a protecting back-Wall on the keeper for a latch-member disposed in said aperture.

6. A door-latching keeper comprising a bill having an aperture, and a lip on the bill obliquely leading to a margin of said aperture for engagement slidably by a latch-member on movement of the latch-member out of latching engagement with the bill at said aperture.

7. A door-latching keeper comprising a bill having an aperture, and a marginal oblique lip on the bill for engagement slidably by a latchmember on movement of the latch-member into latching engagement with the keeper at said aperture.

8. A door-latching keeper for oo-operation with a simultaneously shiftable and retractible latch-member comprising a bill having a latchmember engaging aperture and an inclined projecting lip extending rearwardly from the outwardly presented face of the bill, said lip being positioned for sliding engagement with the keeper-engaging end of the latch-member for retractively urging the latch-member out of keeper engagement responsive to shiftable movement of the latch-member.

9. A door-latching keeper for co-operation with a simultaneously shiftable and retractible latchmember comprising a bill having a latch-member engaging aperture, and an obliquely rearwardly presented marginal lip for sliding engagement with the keeper-engaging end of the latch-member for urging the latch-member into keeper engagement responsive to shiftable movement of the latch-member.

10. Door-latching mechanism comprising, in combination, a shiftable latch-bar, a latch-member swingably mounted on the bar, a fixed keeper for latching engagement with the latch-member, and cam-means on the keeper for swinging the latch-member out of latching engagement with the keeper during shifting movement of the bar.

11. Door-latching mechanism comprising, in combination, a shiftable latch-bar, a latch-member swingably mounted on the bar, a fixed keeper for latching engagement with the latch-member, cam-means on the keeper for swinging the latchmember out of latching engagement with the keeper during shifting movement of the bar, and spring-means on the bar in engagement with the latch-member for normally urging the latchmember yieldingly into keeper-engaging position.

12. Door-latching mechanism comprising, in combination, a shiftable latch-bar, a latch-member swingably mounted on the bar, a fixed keeper for latching engagement with the latch-member, and means on the keeper for swinging the latch-member out of latching engagement with the keeper during shifting movement of the bar.

13. Door-latching mechanism comprising, in combination, a shiftable latch-bar, a latch-member swingably mounted on the bar, and a. fixed apertured keeper for latching engagement with the latch-member, said keeper having a lip projecting obliquely rearwardly from a margin of its aperture for sliding engagement with the keeper-engaging end of the latch-member for retractively urging the latch-member out of keeper-engagement responsive to shiftable movement of the latch-bar.

14-. Door-latching mechanism comprising, in combination, a shiftable latch-bar, a latch-member swingably mounted on the bar, a fixed keeper, a forwardly presented oblique extension on the latch-member for latching engagement with the keeper, and rigid cam-means on the keeper for swinging the latch-member extension out of latching engagement with the keeper during shifting movement of the latch-bar.

, FRANK ALBACH. 

